You missed the obvious title, “Explainer Videos EXPLAINED”
The key thing you’re missing is that you (and I’m assuming most of your subscribers) are on the extreme end of the media consumption spectrum. Of course we are going to understand what happens in these movies where any explainer video is painfully redundant. But you’re seriously underestimating how little the vast majority of the population notices or even cares about the nuances of narrative entertainment, especially TV and film. They watch these things while doing other things, or having conversations. I think it’s rare for the average viewer to make it a priority to give their full attention to what they are watching, or to look deeper for themes or any sort of nuance. I have a friend that routinely invites me over to watch a movie, but ends up spending most of it doing paperwork, or laundry, or unloading the dishwasher. I’ll pause the movie waiting for her but she always says, “Don’t wait for me.” Inevitably, she’ll ask questions about the most basic plot points and ultimately will have an incomplete opinion at best about the movie we watched. I’m sure we all experience this.
Or even better, I have an extremely nerdy friend who used to own a comic book store. He watches all the nerd stuff, but fantasy is the lowest end of the nerd stuff he watches. So some friends of mine and I would gather every week to watch Game of Thrones. For YEARS. We’d been watching and discussing the episodes every week, like good nerds do. I thought we were all on the same page. So it gets into season seven, when Dany and Tyrion finally arrive in Westeros. This one nerd friend pauses the video during one of the episodes and says, “Wait a minute. They were in a different place this whole time? I thought Dany and Tyrion and that whole story was just in another part of Kings Landing.” We were flabbergasted, and still are to this day. For six seasons, he thought that whole other continent storyline was taking place in the same area as everything else. “What did you think the whole animation with the map going ACROSS the sea meant??” Anyway, that was my proof that the super-nerds are just a special breed of movie and TV watchers. Not better, just different. We aren’t as numerous as we’d like to think.
Most people probably LOVE the explainer videos. It helps fill in all the blanks on the show they were only halfway paying attention to.
You do have a point. And this is why a lot of movie directors still insist on the theatrical experience: it (mostly) forces people to pay attention. I'm quite lucky to have a fancy home cinema setup, and am also very serious about watching films 'properly' - something that my family shares (or at least indulges!). My son, now 10, insists on curtains being closed, lights turned off, if we're watching a proper movie.
I suppose the bit that confuses me, still, is that if you're the type of audience member who doesn't really pay attention - and that's your choice, so fine - then why would you bother to find the time to then watch additional videos explaining the thing that you didn't really care enough about in the first place? It vexes me.
I think those non-attention-paying audience members THINK they are paying plenty of attention. They believe that the amount of attention they are giving is more than enough to get what's going on, even though their endless questions about the story prove otherwise. I also think that most people just don't care about or value stories enough to believe they are worthy of that level of initial effort or making it a sanctified "proper" experience. I have to confess that when these same non-attention friends put on a reality show, or Dancing With the Stars, I become someone who checks my phone and zones out.
Ultimately, though, I think people just like watching anything that talks about the thing they like, even if it's in an inane, overly-obvious breakdown. I doubt they searched out those videos, but were served them as a "watch next" video. And then once you watch that, you get half a dozen more like it. The most infuriating example of these (because I too often find myself stuck in that rabbit hole) are the "Random Person Reacts to XYZ Song" videos. I'll tolerate playing the videos because it'll be a song I like that's featured, and I just want to listen to the song. But then the person will generally, ALWAYS, have nice things to say about the song, even if they are a couple of hip-hop kids and they are listening to The Carpenters. Even if it's bland, unconvincing enjoyment of a song, it makes us feel good to see someone else responding positively to the thing we also enjoy. So I think a lot of these bland recap videos just allow people to re-experience their bland joy.
Good point about reality shows, sports etc. Those are forms of entertainment I don't personally consider to be important/moving/etc, and so I'll also dip in and out, go and get a drink without pausing, check my email etc.... And I suppose narrative fiction is like that for other people, much as I find that hard to fathom. But, then, some people don't read books.
It takes all sorts, right?
You're right about it being comforting to see other people liking the thing you like. I do feel that sometimes tips over into replacing your own opinions with those of others, though. A sort of hive mind groupthink about culture, driven by react videos and memes and influencers.
Hopefully, a lot of the people who gobble up react videos or explainer videos will also be fed some of the meatier video essays and discover entirely new ways to look at the stories they might have just seen as disposable entertainment. You have to at least be exposed to more in-depth ways of exploring something before you can realize if you have a passion for that or not.
I still happily look down my nose at people who don't appreciate movies and TV (and books and comics) in the correct way I do. But I also acknowledge that I was once just like them (granted, when I was 12, but still... I was one of them) and that everyone's journey is unique and takes its own time, so I just need to be patient for now, and welcome them with open arms when they join the blessed ones.
I'd like to thank Victor for saving me a lot of typing. He/you've covered more or less any point I'd make even using similar examples.
So I'll merely note I've only watched a couple of "reaction" videos ever. One was for the final episode of "Blake's 7" (two kids who'd obviously developed great love for the show. They realized what was going to happen and kept hoping it wouldn't), the other was for Harry Chapin's song "Sniper," and, this poor guy who knew Harry for Cat's in the Cradle and Taxi was NOT ready for Sniper...poor dude literally had to take a break halfway through because he was gobsmacked.
A rarity for me as I avoid reaction and unboxing videos like Covid, along with Let's Play stuff. No need to see someone else's reactions to a thing, in general.
I do try not to look down at those who do not analyze media as I do. The world would be annoying if all were as "ANALytical" as I.
Also think it’s a great point but then the focus issue is huge! It’s not that people can’t or don’t necessarily want to...they are just distracted by life. When I worked with high school students, all “levels” of students could find and discuss nuance. I don’t think it’s about ability but focus and also if they have been exposed to this kind of stuff in the classroom.
I wouldn't necessarily call what you're describing ambiguity. I might call it multifacited or multilayered on an emotional level, especially if it's personally speaking to different generations on different levels. However, some films are purposefully ambiguous and I absolutely hate them. The perfect example is Inception. Is it real? Is it a dream? I don't care. I didn't spend $20 and 3 hours to leave with more questions than I brought. I will say the same of novels, even more so because the investment is greater. It's one thing to end and wonder "what will the future hold" for our characters, and it's another thing to put the book down and feel like a promise was broken. Most endings should hit us like a piano dropped from 20 stories, not like a feather behind the ear.
Hope you're feeling better soon! It sucks to be sick, but you managed to crank out a great article at the same time and that's to be commended 😁
I see what you're saying about the difference between multilayered narratives and being deliberately obtuse. I'm not a fan of Mulholland Drive for that reason - it just annoyed me.
At the same time, though, I didn't feel the need to go and watch a "Mulholland Drive explained!" video. The film wasn't for me, but that's OK. Having someone else explain it wouldn't have enhanced my experience.
Ambiguous endings are hard to get right. I think a lot of it is about signposting and making the audience aware of the type of story you're telling. If a film is inherently mysterious, I won't necessarily mind a mysterious ending. Whereas if a film is structured in a way that feels as if it's driving towards A Conclusion, to then be robbed of that will feel frustrating.
That's where it gets interesting in terms of genre tropes, too. Finding that balance of subverting without disappointing. Some of the audience will love a story that rips apart the genre expectations; others will have gone in specifically because they love all those things.
Stories are hard! (but they don't need explainer videos)
Loved this. Banshees was an amazing surprise of a film and the story, so small and simple and quiet for the most part was about so many things and i still wrestle with why the characters did what they did. And that's ok! Such a great reminder that everything doesnt have to be wrapped nicely with a bow!
The moment halfway through when the first finger goes is so unexpected - despite being clearly signposted - that it unsettles everything else. The rest of the film (and the days following watching it) left me going "but whyyyyyyyyy". It's a story where you hope that a rewatch might magically cause the characters to behave differently.
But that illogical behaviour, the irrational break between cause and effect, is what gives the film its power. Characters not understanding each other is at the crux of it all. It can't be rationally explained, it's more *felt*. But all of that is very personal to each viewer.
I see that summarizing a lot in book reviews too. 3/4 of the “review” is nothing more than a summary of the book. That’s not what I wanted in a review. I wanted an opinion on a book, not a CliffNotes version of the lot. I can read the blurb just fine.
It's weird, isn't it? I think this is why a lot of beginner writers obsess over plot, instead of characters, themes and other more important elements. We all get trained into thinking that plot is the most important thing by the lazy reviews we see growing up.
How dare you almost make me use up half of my day watching that very excellent Transformers video! At 48 minutes long, I wish there was an explainer video that captured the highlights!
I had a period of time where I was watching every "951 EASTER EGGS IN LATEST MARVEL EPISODE/MOVIE" video, but found that they were sapping my enjoyment of just being surprised at what was coming in later episodes. The Marvel TV shows/movies might be a special exception because there are decades of source material that referenced in them and sometimes it is nice to have an explainer to go through it all. But it's not something I would want to watch all the time.
However, I will defend to the death the excellent Pitch Meeting channel.
'Easter egg' videos also fall into a slightly different category, I think. They're less about explaining stuff that is core to the film and more about Where's Wally bonuses, or connecting it to other cultural history you might not be aware of (eg a comic that was published 40 years ago). They're not about *meaning*, so it's a slightly different thing. I do agree you can definitely OD on that kind of stuff, though.
Glad you enjoyed the Transformers video! I thought it made some really interesting points and observations about whether the origins of a thing matter as much as the thing itself (and its subsequent reception by audiences).
Ah, those videos. They're basically white noise in the suggestion video section to me when browsing youtube, like 'how it should have ended,' those modern presidents doing gaming things videos (popular gaming discourse is awful enough why would I want to watch it fused with obnoxious political memes), or anything with a real person making an exaggerated expression.
Though I've found that people do in fact have pretty bad media comprehension, enough to completely miss the point of very unsubtle stories and make me doubt if they actually experienced said work. So sadly I suspect these explainer videos are genuinely needed.
YouTube still isn't a primary source for everyone. There must be millions of websites offering not only explainers for films but also for TV and streaming.
The explainers often demonstrate the extent to which a devoted fan of something has failed at basic viewing and comprehension.
I recently read an ending explainer that got their speculative conclusion wrong. It wasn't even difficult. A Tshirt that appeared earlier was the same Tshirt worn by the final shooter. No guess work, no ambiguity. The explainer, meanwhile, had offered multiple possible perps for the ending. He only corrected later, following, I assume, bombardment from people who had paid attention, so already undersood the ending.
Yes! Actually I’m posting something soon about getting readers to “work for it”. Anyway I love the Banshees film and part of the reason is all the subtle layers that can be interpreted in many ways. Although somewhat of a parable, it takes on a life of its own about the Troubles, friendship, Modernity, etc. Really enjoy the later examples you use here and have to check out the other cinema channel. Kermode is the best! He’s got a great podcast as does Brett Goldstein (who interviews him on a special edition). Thanks for some great perspective and antidote to “black & white content”
Exactly - Banshees is a film that is about LOTS of stuff, but the specific balance of all those ideas and themes will vary for each viewer, based on their specific context. That interaction of creator and consumer is what makes art so exciting and interesting - and why 'definitive explainer' videos make me somewhat exasperated.
Kermode is quite an unusual reviewer, in that he takes a film's intended audience and genre into account. That makes him able to sensibly review a much wider range of movies than more narrow-minded critics.
You missed the obvious title, “Explainer Videos EXPLAINED”
The key thing you’re missing is that you (and I’m assuming most of your subscribers) are on the extreme end of the media consumption spectrum. Of course we are going to understand what happens in these movies where any explainer video is painfully redundant. But you’re seriously underestimating how little the vast majority of the population notices or even cares about the nuances of narrative entertainment, especially TV and film. They watch these things while doing other things, or having conversations. I think it’s rare for the average viewer to make it a priority to give their full attention to what they are watching, or to look deeper for themes or any sort of nuance. I have a friend that routinely invites me over to watch a movie, but ends up spending most of it doing paperwork, or laundry, or unloading the dishwasher. I’ll pause the movie waiting for her but she always says, “Don’t wait for me.” Inevitably, she’ll ask questions about the most basic plot points and ultimately will have an incomplete opinion at best about the movie we watched. I’m sure we all experience this.
Or even better, I have an extremely nerdy friend who used to own a comic book store. He watches all the nerd stuff, but fantasy is the lowest end of the nerd stuff he watches. So some friends of mine and I would gather every week to watch Game of Thrones. For YEARS. We’d been watching and discussing the episodes every week, like good nerds do. I thought we were all on the same page. So it gets into season seven, when Dany and Tyrion finally arrive in Westeros. This one nerd friend pauses the video during one of the episodes and says, “Wait a minute. They were in a different place this whole time? I thought Dany and Tyrion and that whole story was just in another part of Kings Landing.” We were flabbergasted, and still are to this day. For six seasons, he thought that whole other continent storyline was taking place in the same area as everything else. “What did you think the whole animation with the map going ACROSS the sea meant??” Anyway, that was my proof that the super-nerds are just a special breed of movie and TV watchers. Not better, just different. We aren’t as numerous as we’d like to think.
Most people probably LOVE the explainer videos. It helps fill in all the blanks on the show they were only halfway paying attention to.
Ah, that IS a missed opportunity for the title!
You do have a point. And this is why a lot of movie directors still insist on the theatrical experience: it (mostly) forces people to pay attention. I'm quite lucky to have a fancy home cinema setup, and am also very serious about watching films 'properly' - something that my family shares (or at least indulges!). My son, now 10, insists on curtains being closed, lights turned off, if we're watching a proper movie.
I suppose the bit that confuses me, still, is that if you're the type of audience member who doesn't really pay attention - and that's your choice, so fine - then why would you bother to find the time to then watch additional videos explaining the thing that you didn't really care enough about in the first place? It vexes me.
Love your GoT anecdote!
I think those non-attention-paying audience members THINK they are paying plenty of attention. They believe that the amount of attention they are giving is more than enough to get what's going on, even though their endless questions about the story prove otherwise. I also think that most people just don't care about or value stories enough to believe they are worthy of that level of initial effort or making it a sanctified "proper" experience. I have to confess that when these same non-attention friends put on a reality show, or Dancing With the Stars, I become someone who checks my phone and zones out.
Ultimately, though, I think people just like watching anything that talks about the thing they like, even if it's in an inane, overly-obvious breakdown. I doubt they searched out those videos, but were served them as a "watch next" video. And then once you watch that, you get half a dozen more like it. The most infuriating example of these (because I too often find myself stuck in that rabbit hole) are the "Random Person Reacts to XYZ Song" videos. I'll tolerate playing the videos because it'll be a song I like that's featured, and I just want to listen to the song. But then the person will generally, ALWAYS, have nice things to say about the song, even if they are a couple of hip-hop kids and they are listening to The Carpenters. Even if it's bland, unconvincing enjoyment of a song, it makes us feel good to see someone else responding positively to the thing we also enjoy. So I think a lot of these bland recap videos just allow people to re-experience their bland joy.
Good point about reality shows, sports etc. Those are forms of entertainment I don't personally consider to be important/moving/etc, and so I'll also dip in and out, go and get a drink without pausing, check my email etc.... And I suppose narrative fiction is like that for other people, much as I find that hard to fathom. But, then, some people don't read books.
It takes all sorts, right?
You're right about it being comforting to see other people liking the thing you like. I do feel that sometimes tips over into replacing your own opinions with those of others, though. A sort of hive mind groupthink about culture, driven by react videos and memes and influencers.
Hopefully, a lot of the people who gobble up react videos or explainer videos will also be fed some of the meatier video essays and discover entirely new ways to look at the stories they might have just seen as disposable entertainment. You have to at least be exposed to more in-depth ways of exploring something before you can realize if you have a passion for that or not.
I still happily look down my nose at people who don't appreciate movies and TV (and books and comics) in the correct way I do. But I also acknowledge that I was once just like them (granted, when I was 12, but still... I was one of them) and that everyone's journey is unique and takes its own time, so I just need to be patient for now, and welcome them with open arms when they join the blessed ones.
I'd like to thank Victor for saving me a lot of typing. He/you've covered more or less any point I'd make even using similar examples.
So I'll merely note I've only watched a couple of "reaction" videos ever. One was for the final episode of "Blake's 7" (two kids who'd obviously developed great love for the show. They realized what was going to happen and kept hoping it wouldn't), the other was for Harry Chapin's song "Sniper," and, this poor guy who knew Harry for Cat's in the Cradle and Taxi was NOT ready for Sniper...poor dude literally had to take a break halfway through because he was gobsmacked.
A rarity for me as I avoid reaction and unboxing videos like Covid, along with Let's Play stuff. No need to see someone else's reactions to a thing, in general.
I do try not to look down at those who do not analyze media as I do. The world would be annoying if all were as "ANALytical" as I.
Also think it’s a great point but then the focus issue is huge! It’s not that people can’t or don’t necessarily want to...they are just distracted by life. When I worked with high school students, all “levels” of students could find and discuss nuance. I don’t think it’s about ability but focus and also if they have been exposed to this kind of stuff in the classroom.
I wouldn't necessarily call what you're describing ambiguity. I might call it multifacited or multilayered on an emotional level, especially if it's personally speaking to different generations on different levels. However, some films are purposefully ambiguous and I absolutely hate them. The perfect example is Inception. Is it real? Is it a dream? I don't care. I didn't spend $20 and 3 hours to leave with more questions than I brought. I will say the same of novels, even more so because the investment is greater. It's one thing to end and wonder "what will the future hold" for our characters, and it's another thing to put the book down and feel like a promise was broken. Most endings should hit us like a piano dropped from 20 stories, not like a feather behind the ear.
Hope you're feeling better soon! It sucks to be sick, but you managed to crank out a great article at the same time and that's to be commended 😁
Ha, thanks Brian!
I see what you're saying about the difference between multilayered narratives and being deliberately obtuse. I'm not a fan of Mulholland Drive for that reason - it just annoyed me.
At the same time, though, I didn't feel the need to go and watch a "Mulholland Drive explained!" video. The film wasn't for me, but that's OK. Having someone else explain it wouldn't have enhanced my experience.
Ambiguous endings are hard to get right. I think a lot of it is about signposting and making the audience aware of the type of story you're telling. If a film is inherently mysterious, I won't necessarily mind a mysterious ending. Whereas if a film is structured in a way that feels as if it's driving towards A Conclusion, to then be robbed of that will feel frustrating.
That's where it gets interesting in terms of genre tropes, too. Finding that balance of subverting without disappointing. Some of the audience will love a story that rips apart the genre expectations; others will have gone in specifically because they love all those things.
Stories are hard! (but they don't need explainer videos)
Loved this. Banshees was an amazing surprise of a film and the story, so small and simple and quiet for the most part was about so many things and i still wrestle with why the characters did what they did. And that's ok! Such a great reminder that everything doesnt have to be wrapped nicely with a bow!
The moment halfway through when the first finger goes is so unexpected - despite being clearly signposted - that it unsettles everything else. The rest of the film (and the days following watching it) left me going "but whyyyyyyyyy". It's a story where you hope that a rewatch might magically cause the characters to behave differently.
But that illogical behaviour, the irrational break between cause and effect, is what gives the film its power. Characters not understanding each other is at the crux of it all. It can't be rationally explained, it's more *felt*. But all of that is very personal to each viewer.
haha so true, i dearly wish a rewatch would result in something different - and the way the story is told you half believe it could happen!
This was a good post - people need to think and not always be fed answers they did not ask for - good for the old noggin' :)
Thanks, David! The noggin' needs exercising too!
I see that summarizing a lot in book reviews too. 3/4 of the “review” is nothing more than a summary of the book. That’s not what I wanted in a review. I wanted an opinion on a book, not a CliffNotes version of the lot. I can read the blurb just fine.
It's weird, isn't it? I think this is why a lot of beginner writers obsess over plot, instead of characters, themes and other more important elements. We all get trained into thinking that plot is the most important thing by the lazy reviews we see growing up.
How dare you almost make me use up half of my day watching that very excellent Transformers video! At 48 minutes long, I wish there was an explainer video that captured the highlights!
I had a period of time where I was watching every "951 EASTER EGGS IN LATEST MARVEL EPISODE/MOVIE" video, but found that they were sapping my enjoyment of just being surprised at what was coming in later episodes. The Marvel TV shows/movies might be a special exception because there are decades of source material that referenced in them and sometimes it is nice to have an explainer to go through it all. But it's not something I would want to watch all the time.
However, I will defend to the death the excellent Pitch Meeting channel.
Pitch Meeting is superb! Definitely gets a pass.
'Easter egg' videos also fall into a slightly different category, I think. They're less about explaining stuff that is core to the film and more about Where's Wally bonuses, or connecting it to other cultural history you might not be aware of (eg a comic that was published 40 years ago). They're not about *meaning*, so it's a slightly different thing. I do agree you can definitely OD on that kind of stuff, though.
Glad you enjoyed the Transformers video! I thought it made some really interesting points and observations about whether the origins of a thing matter as much as the thing itself (and its subsequent reception by audiences).
Ah, those videos. They're basically white noise in the suggestion video section to me when browsing youtube, like 'how it should have ended,' those modern presidents doing gaming things videos (popular gaming discourse is awful enough why would I want to watch it fused with obnoxious political memes), or anything with a real person making an exaggerated expression.
Though I've found that people do in fact have pretty bad media comprehension, enough to completely miss the point of very unsubtle stories and make me doubt if they actually experienced said work. So sadly I suspect these explainer videos are genuinely needed.
YouTube still isn't a primary source for everyone. There must be millions of websites offering not only explainers for films but also for TV and streaming.
The explainers often demonstrate the extent to which a devoted fan of something has failed at basic viewing and comprehension.
I recently read an ending explainer that got their speculative conclusion wrong. It wasn't even difficult. A Tshirt that appeared earlier was the same Tshirt worn by the final shooter. No guess work, no ambiguity. The explainer, meanwhile, had offered multiple possible perps for the ending. He only corrected later, following, I assume, bombardment from people who had paid attention, so already undersood the ending.
Yes! Actually I’m posting something soon about getting readers to “work for it”. Anyway I love the Banshees film and part of the reason is all the subtle layers that can be interpreted in many ways. Although somewhat of a parable, it takes on a life of its own about the Troubles, friendship, Modernity, etc. Really enjoy the later examples you use here and have to check out the other cinema channel. Kermode is the best! He’s got a great podcast as does Brett Goldstein (who interviews him on a special edition). Thanks for some great perspective and antidote to “black & white content”
Exactly - Banshees is a film that is about LOTS of stuff, but the specific balance of all those ideas and themes will vary for each viewer, based on their specific context. That interaction of creator and consumer is what makes art so exciting and interesting - and why 'definitive explainer' videos make me somewhat exasperated.
Kermode is quite an unusual reviewer, in that he takes a film's intended audience and genre into account. That makes him able to sensibly review a much wider range of movies than more narrow-minded critics.